April 13 / II Samuel 12:15b-14:33

II Samuel 12:15b-14:33

Today we begin to see the disastrous consequences of David’s sin with Bathsheba. The first immediate consequence is the death of the son that is the product of David’s adultery. The longer term consequences, which play out over years, are the troubles within his family: the rape of his daughter Tamar by his son Amnon; the murder of Amnon by son Absalom in revenge; and David’s subsequent estrangement from Absalom.

I am sure there are numerous lessons in (failed) leadership and (poor) parenting that we could learn from these scenarios. We could see that although David gets angry, he nevertheless fails to impose any kind of sentence on Amnon for the rape of Tamar (II Sam. 13:21), which only fuels Absalom’s hatred of Amnon, a hatred that festers for two years. We might note that when Absalom kills Amnon, David again fails to deal with the situation, neither seeking to bring Absalom to justice for the murder of Amnon, nor seeking reconciliation, but rather again letting the situation fester for three years while Absalom resides with his maternal grandfather. We could note that when Joab takes the initiative to bring Absalom back to Jerusalem, David still refuses to see him for another two years, further poisoning the relationship between David and Absalom.

There may indeed be plenty to learn in all those observations, but I don’t think that’s the point. Rather, it seems to me that we are supposed to understand that this entire mess is the result of David’s sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah. It is all God’s judgment: Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house…” (II Sam. 12:11) But note how God is using human actors, in their own sinfulness, to bring about His judgment. Amnon’s sinful actions against Tamar provoke Absalom, who sinfully takes matters into his own hands and murders Amnon. God is using these evil actions to accomplish His purposes of disciplining David and continuing to shape his character.

God is sovereign over everything. We must, of course, always stand against evil and never be partners with it. But we must also humbly accept the Lord’s discipline, even when that discipline comes by the hand of evildoers.

April 12 / I Chronicles 17; II Samuel 8-12:15a; Psalm 51

I Chronicles 17; II Samuel 8-12:15a; Psalm 51

In case you missed II Samuel 7 (and the April 3 post), I Chronicles 17 offers the replay, nearly quoting the Samuel passage. (But not quite — I’ll let you find the differences.) We then move back to II Samuel to pick up where we left off. We see David ruling marvelously, with military victories all around. (II Sam. 8,10) He shows compassion and honor to Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, treating him kindly for the sake of Jonathan. (II Sam. 9) David administers justice and equity to all his people (II Sam 8:15), until…Bathsheba.

David sees this beautiful woman bathing. He desires her, takes her, commits adultery — at exactly the wrong time of the month (II Sam. 11:4) — and she becomes pregnant. In an effort to cover up his sin, he invites Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite — David’s loyal friend and one of his elite mighty men (II Sam. 23:29; I Ch. 11:41) — to come home and sleep with his wife. But Uriah honorably and humbly does not indulge himself. So David murders Uriah by proxy in order to take Bathsheba as his own wife.

But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

II Samuel 11:27

The prophet Nathan — the same man through whom the LORD had promised to establish David’s kingdom forever — confronts David with a parable of a rich man treating a poor man unjustly. David, whose heart normally aligns with the LORD’s, immediately and rightly condemns the rich man. But Nathan says, “You are the man!” That cuts David to the quick, and he realizes his sin. He repents and writes Psalm 51 in response. The LORD forgives David (II Sam. 12:13), but David’s sin is not without consequences. We shall see those consequences in the days ahead.

But let’s back up. What is David’s big problem here, and how might he do things differently? Of course, the obvious first answer is that he should immediately turn away from Bathsheba, not invite her over, never touch her, etc. — entire problem avoided. But failing that, then what? How about immediate repentance after his tryst? When he calls Uriah home for a little time with his wife, what if David instead confesses his sin to Uriah then and there? What prevents David from this proper course of action? I’m guessing David faces the same goblins that prevent us from promptly confessing our sins: pride and fear — pride in a good reputation and fear of losing that reputation. But those goblins are liars, and rather than protecting David’s reputation (or ours), they drive him (and us) to greater sin and even worse damage to the reputation.

I cannot count the number of times I have delayed confessing some sin or have compounded my sin by lying about it, trying to cover it up. I fear rejection. I fear that people whom I count as friends will turn away in disgust, and with people there are no guarantees that they will not do so. And so my fears of rejection persist, and I hide behind a mask of uprightness. But the other person’s reaction never justifies failure to repent on my part, so I eventually break down and take off the mask. And when I do, the imagined rejection almost never materializes. It is usually just the opposite. I find acceptance and forgiveness — and often even respect for having come clean. Better yet, with the Lord, we do have a guarantee:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:9

So don’t let fear hold you back. If you need to confess some sin, do not wait. Make that confession — not just the general confession that we all might pray in church as a group, but a real confession of that specific sin. In the process, difficult as it might be, you will find freedom.

See also:

April 11 / Psalms 80-83, 88

Psalms 80-83, 88

Following The Chronological Study Bible, we won’t read the Book of Job until August and September, so here is a very quick plot summary: a man named Job suffers — a lot. One might well read Psalm 88 from Job’s perspective, crying out to God in the midst of anguish while feeling totally abandoned. We each might also be able to relate at some level in whatever level of suffering we might go through from time to time, especially when such suffering is prolonged. Though Psalm 88 does not offer any explicit “solutions” to that suffering, it still expresses what we all need to express during such times.

Having just come through Holy Week, it strikes me that we could read Psalm 88 from another perspective as well: that of Jesus during His Passion. Try reading Psalm 88 one more time as though Jesus were the One praying this prayer. Meditate on that, and let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart.

In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.

Hebrews 5:7-8

See also:

April 10 / Psalms 77-79

Psalms 77-79

I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will ponder all Your work,
and meditate on Your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God Who works wonders;
You have made known Your might among the peoples.

Psalm 77:11-14

We are odd creatures when it comes to memory. There are things I can remember clearly from my childhood, but I have a hard time recalling what I did last week. I can remember all sorts of facts and figures — lots of mostly useless information — but I apparently forget some big life lessons and need to learn them again and again. The LORD God Almighty is all around me, yet I forget all about Him a great deal of the time.

Like the psalmist, I must deliberately remember the deeds of the LORD, and so I am grateful for the opportunity to walk this journey through the Scriptures with you. Together we remember [His] wonders of old. Together we ponder all [His]work. Together we meditate on all [His] mighty deeds. And the psalmist helps us to do so.

But I am easily distracted. The cares and concerns of this life draw my attention. Yesterday I celebrated Christ’s Resurrection. How soon before I forget?

See also:

One more thing…

I am a little surprised at the chronological placement of some of these psalms. Presumably, the rationale for placing these psalms here is that the Chronicler just mentioned Asaph (I Ch. 16:5,7) so we are covering psalms where the header says something like “Of Asaph”. The problem, though, is that some lines in these psalms do not yet make much sense in the context of the history that we’ve covered. For example:

He rejected the tent of Joseph;
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loves.

Psalm 78:67-68

We have not yet seen any rejection of Ephraim so if you are puzzled by these lines, hold on. These lines will make very good sense after Israel splits into two kingdoms, the Northern Kingdom (called “Israel” and led mainly by Ephraim), and the Southern Kingdom (called Judah). And they will make even more sense when Israel is destroyed by Assyria — but before the Babylonians conquer Judah. But now? Not so much.

Similarly, Psalm 79 would make much more sense after the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the temple (which we haven’t seen built yet).

It is possible, of course, that Asaph is indeed the author of these psalms and that he writes these lines prophetically. But a simpler explanation would be that “Of Asaph” refers not just to Asaph himself, but to his descendants, the entire clan of musicians extending for generations — just as “Aaron” could refer to the man himself or to the priesthood, depending on context. So, if I were editing The Chronological Study Bible, I think I’d push these psalms a few hundred years into the historical context future…

April 9 / Psalms 39, 62, 50, 73-76

Psalms 39, 62, 50, 73-76

All the cries of our hearts, voiced in the psalms, all our longings for deliverance and salvation, all our pleas for both justice and mercy are met in these words:

He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

May you have a blessed, glorious, and joyful Resurrection Sunday!

See also:

April 8 / Psalms 96, 105-106

Psalms 96, 105-106

Holy Saturday. The day of darkness, fear, and despair. Jesus’ disciples have witnessed the horror of the Crucifixion. They know their own failings, how they denied and abandoned the One that they swore they would die for. They have lost themselves, and they have lost their Lord. How could the Man with the words of eternal life (John 6:68) Himself be dead? Where is God in all of this?

As we meditate on the difficult reality of Holy Saturday, last year’s commentary on Psalm 105:16-36 seems particularly relevant. So give that a read. I’ll wait…

We of course know that Holy Saturday is followed by Resurrection Sunday. It is in Christ’s Resurrection that we find our hope. And that is what we need to remember as we encounter our own personal miniature versions of Holy Saturday throughout the year. Even in all those dark times, when God seems lightyears away, He is still at work for our good. So let us thank Him for His steadfast love, which we may very well experience, for the time being, as a dark and gloomy Holy Saturday.

See also:

April 7 / I Chronicles 16

I Chronicles 16

If we had not noticed in our prior readings, it should now be clear that bringing the Ark to Jerusalem is a really big deal. It is a tremendous first step in restoring proper worship of the LORD in Israel, enhanced by David’s appointment of Levites to serve as professional musicians. The celebration even includes a distribution of food to everyone, which indicates a significant level of national peace and prosperity.

But bringing the Ark is only the first step. One thing that is clearly stated, but which I’ve never particularly noticed before, is that the Ark is placed in a tent that David pitches for it (I Ch. 16:1), a tent that is not the Tabernacle, which remains at Gibeon. David ensures that priests and Levites tend to the Tabernacle as well as the Ark, but he otherwise leaves the Tabernacle where it is. (I Ch. 16:39)

So let’s step back and consider the historical context. It is unclear exactly how much time has elapsed from Moses to David, but we can safely say it has been at least a couple of centuries. During that time, Torah has largely been forgotten, as Israel repeatedly lost its way. (Remember the Judges?) The Ark was brought out of the Tabernacle to go with the army, but it was captured by the Philistines in the days of Eli, only to be too “hot” for them to handle and so subsequently returned. (I Sam. 4-6) The Ark continued to go about with the army during Saul’s tenure (I Sam. 14:18) but otherwise generally resided in Kiriath-jearim — away from the Tabernacle — for decades. (I Sam. 7:2) It appears that virtually everyone (including David) has forgotten that the Ark belongs in the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle. That is the scenario that David inherits.

Getting Israel back on track in its worship of the LORD is clearly going to take major effort and a lot of time, but David needs to start somewhere. Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem is that first big step. Organizing the Levites to help with praise and worship is another. The Chronicler knows that there is still much to be done, but he nonetheless celebrates David’s moving in the right direction, step by step, one step at a time.

One more thing…

Paying attention to the cross-references, we see that virtually all of the song included in today’s reading is reflected in the psalms that we’ll read tomorrow. I Ch. 16:8-22 is in Ps. 105:1-15, I Ch. 16:23-33 is in Ps. 96:1-13 (with some variation), and I Ch. 16:35-36 is in Ps. 106:47-48 (almost).

April 6 / Psalms 8, 19, 29, 32, 65, 68, 103, 108, 138

Psalms 8, 19, 29, 32, 65, 68, 103, 108, 138

What with reading what feels like half the Psalter today, and with all Fred’s commentary from last year, I’m guessing you don’t want much more from me, so I’ll try to be uncharacteristically brief. Take advantage of your fresh knowledge of David’s story. Put yourself in his shoes as you read his songs and gain insights from that perspective. But also recognize that the Psalms are timeless, as relevant to us today as when written. They are also often prophetic, looking forward to the Christ, so pay attention to those little cross-references your Bible may provide, showing how the New Testament quotes and interprets the Psalms (for example, Ps. 8:2 in Mt. 21:16 or Ps. 8:4-6 in Heb. 2:6-8 and I Cor. 15:27).

The Psalms are rich. Let them speak Truth into your heart, and let them sing praise and worship from your heart.

See also:

April 5 / I Chronicles 12-15

I Chronicles 12-15

Today we may begin to appreciate a bit better the added value that Chronicles brings to Israel’s historical narrative. In II Samuel, we have only a few verses about David becoming king of all Israel, II Samuel 5:1-3, which is largely echoed in I Ch. 11:1-3. Today we get more detail. We see that it is not just some elders and chiefs who agree to make David king. In fact, thousands upon thousands of warriors, from each tribe of Israel, come to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the LORD. (I Ch. 12:23) This is a good deal more than a bunch of politically connected leaders all shaking hands in a back room. This is a grand display of national unity in the coronation of King David. (I Ch. 12:23-40) Of course, we should also note that in Chronicles there is a very deliberate complete omission of all the strife leading up to that coronation…

Now let’s take a look at the next issue: bringing the Ark to Jerusalem — in two phases. We have this story in II Samuel 6 and here in I Ch. 13,15. In both accounts, the core of the story is the same. We see that David desires to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, but the first attempt — by ox cart — fails when Uzzah reaches out to steady the Ark and the LORD “breaks out” upon Uzzah, killing him. The Ark spends a few months in the house of Obed-edom, and then they again try to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, this time successfully.

But the Chronicles account gives us more insight, explaining what the Samuel account leaves unexplained:

Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever. … Then David summoned the priests … and the Levites … and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule.” So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD.

I Chronicles 15:2,11-15

So the second attempt succeeds where the first attempt failed, because this time they do it the right way, with Levites carrying the Ark on their shoulders rather than transporting it on an ox cart. (By way of refresher, see the February 10 post.) Chronicles thus gives us a fuller view than we would have had with just the Samuel account. And in this fuller view, there is a lesson for us: Good intentions are not enough; the way we do things matters, too.

We may have some really excellent goal in mind. We may even be called by God to accomplish that goal. But that does not mean that we are free to ignore the Lord in how we accomplish that goal. If God gives us any direction on the proper way to do things, we need to pay attention. That applies not only to worship and ritual, but to everyday life. We are called to honor the Lord in everything we do — both in what we do and in how we do it.

April 4 / I Chronicles 9:35-11:46

I Chronicles 9:35-11:46

Fast-forward, rewind, and replay. Reading through the Scriptures chronologically means that we are now skipping forward in the text to I Chronicles so that we can go back and review some history we’ve already been through, but from a somewhat different perspective. Sometimes Chronicles quotes almost verbatim from Samuel and Kings. (For example, compare I Ch. 10:1-12 with I Sam. 31:1-13.) So do not be surprised if you feel like you’ve read this before. You have!

Chronicles does not devote much ink to Saul. Aside from a few minor references in the next few chapters, what we have today is just about it. Chronicles thus skips over Saul’s anointing, all of Saul’s positive accomplishments, the vast majority of Saul’s hunting of David, and gets straight to Saul’s demise. All that silence stands as an implicit negative commentary on Saul, but in case there is any question about that, Chronicles briefly makes that criticism explicit:

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

I Chronicles 10:13-14

And so Chronicles moves straight on to David, even skipping over all the conflict and political machinations that precede David’s ascension to the throne of a united Israel. (I Ch. 11:1-3)

As we move back and forth between Chronicles and Samuel and Kings, let’s notice both the similarities and the differences. Let’s appreciate the different perspectives, arising from authors writing at different times and to audiences in different circumstances, and therefore with different emphases. And let’s recognize that it is all God’s Word. We should not read only Samuel and Kings without Chronicles. Neither should we read Chronicles without Samuel and Kings. We must take them all together to get the full message that God has for us.